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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. present — there
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — the time now
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — for catching
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com